Hats worn in hot weather keep the sun off of people's heads can warm up the wearer's head by trapping generated heat. There have been many attempts to produce headwear that keep the wearer's heads cool by providing air flow to the wearer's head.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,560 for a “Hat/visor with Brim Vent” describes headwear, such as a hat, cap, or visor, with a headband and a brim extending outwardly. The hat includes a crescent shaped opening defined by an inner portion of the brim and an external leading edge of the headband that provides venting at the base of the visor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,176 for “Headgear” describes an improved headgear includes an outer shell and an inner liner providing a head receiving cavity. A headband has a forward portion and lateral portions secured to the inner liner and a rearward portion extending rearward of said lateral portions. A first vent aperture is centrally formed in the outer shell. A second vent aperture is centrally formed in the inner liner. Third vent apertures are formed in the inner liner in spaced relationship with the second vent aperture.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,237 for a “Selectively Removable Device to Promote Circulation of Air into and Out of a Hat” describes a device that allows air to circulate. The device has a base having an arcuate first side and a second side. The second side has a rib extending from the second side. The device also has a surface adapted for attaching the base to a hat. Air enters at the base of the visor next to the head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,896 for a “Headgear” describes an improved headgear that includes an outer shell and an inner liner providing a head receiving cavity. A headband has a forward portion and lateral portions secured to the inner liner and a pair of rearward extending flexible members having interconnecting free end portions that allow the headband to be adjusted to many heads of different length. A fabric lining covers the headband forward and lateral portions and has slot openings through which the headband flexible members extend. An adjustable opening at the top of the fabric lining facilitates headgear vertical adjustment. A pair of side retention straps extend downwardly from the sides of the outer shell. A pair of rear retention straps mount to respective ones of the side retention straps and are adjustably secured to each other. The inner liner has channels that receive the side retention straps and allow them to drape down in close proximity to a wearer's temples and cheeks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,191 for a “Vented Visor Cap” describes a cap or hat having a visor for permitting a flow of air through the visor, thereby precluding unintentional removal of the cap by wind currents. The cap has a visor extending outwardly therefrom, with the visor having a semi-circular aperture extending therethrough. A venting assembly extends across the visor aperture and is secured to forward and lateral edges of the visor aperture only, thereby allowing a trailing edge of the venting assembly to be fluidly biased out of the plane of the visor such that a pressure differential across the visor is reduced. The flow of air through the visor is perpendicular to the plane of the visor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,788 for a “Ventilated, Heat Attenuating Headwear” describes a ventilated, heat attenuating hat including an inner mesh section that has a crown portion for engaging the crown of a wearer's head and a pair of side portions connected to the crown portion for engaging the sides of the wearer's head. There is an outer mesh section interconnected to the inner mesh section for covering at least a portion of the inner mesh section. A channel is formed between the inner and outer mesh sections for allowing air to flow freely therethrough. The outer mesh section includes a metallized fabric for reflecting away from the hat a significant of solar radiation that strikes the outer mesh section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,774 for a “Ventilating Helmet” shows a ventilating helmet which takes the form of sheet material wall member which has mounted thereon an electrically operated fan which is adapted to move air to the interior of the helmet. The electrically operated fan is to be operated through the use of a light sensitive, electrical energy producing cell. This cell is to be directly exposed to the source of light energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,689 for a “Visored Hat Construction” describes a visor having an open cell construction that blocks sunlight from the wearer's eyes.
U.S. Pat. Pub. 2009/0049578 describes a hat having a water absorbing material sandwiched in the brim or other portion of the hat. As the water evaporates through vents, cooling the region of the hat against the wearer's head.
U.S. Pat. Pub. 2012/0000006 to Ramer for “Utilising an Airfoil Effect for Inducing Cooling in a Baseball Cap, A.K.A. ‘Air Cap’” describes a hat having two brims, which is claimed to create an airfoil effect between the two brims. The hat includes a normal-sized main visor or bill in the front with a crown of material over the head, the main bill being deliberately curved upwards where it is attached to the crown. The hat also includes a short, flat, second bill placed underneath the main bill, with the second bill attached to the interior brim of the cap at the back of the bill. The second bill is also attached to the main visor on the sides and a gap exists between the two bills from front to back.
Another cap is the Airpeak by Builmatel of Japan. The Airpeak includes an conspicuous opening in the center, not the front of the brim. The prominent opening severely affects the aesthetics of the cap.
Some prior art caps include a large air intake on the top of the brim, which many wearer's may not find aesthetically displeasing.
Designs for ventilated hats include U.S. Des. Pat. No. D670,891 for a “Ventilated Hat” which shows a circular hard hat with a hanging screen on the back—no front visor. A bill extends all the way around with a fan in the front, blowing down towards the forehead. In U.S. Des. Pat. No. D670,034 for a “Vented Construction Hard Hat,” shows vents entirely in the crown of the hat. U.S. Des. Pat. No. D623,831 for a “Ventilated Hat with a Sunshade Brim” shows venting around the head. U.S. Des. Pat. No. D617,536 for a “Ventilated Hat” shows venting is at the top, with front-to-back strips covering front-to-back openings underneath. U.S. Des. Pat. No D607,629 for a “Ventilated Hat” shows vents are on the top. D541,509 for a “Ventilated Decorative Hat” describes vents that appear to be holes in the part of the hat covering the head.